Tag: Internet Privacy

Misha Collins, an actor best known for his role as the angel Castiel on Supernatural, has started a GoFundMe in response to the Republican-controlled congress voting to do away with Obama-era online privacy protections.

The bill, known as SJR34, has passed both houses and has been sent to the desk of President Trump, who is expected to sign it.

The resolution was authored by Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), who has received at least $693,000 in donations from lobbyists with AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon throughout the course of her 14-year congressional career, reports Vocativ. Blackburn has also been behind efforts to kill net neutrality, which is the principle that internet service providers should not interfere with their customer’s internet speed depending on what they are doing online. For example, an internet provider should not be able to throttle a user’s data because they are streaming Netflix and not Hulu, or viewing pornography.

The new bill will allow internet service providers to sell people’s browsing history without the users’ consent, reports U.S. News. No Democrats supported the measure.

In response, online activists have decided that if Congress is willing to sell their data to the highest bidder, that they will buy Congress’ data. The GoFundMe page by Collins reads:

Congress recently voted to strip Americans of their privacy rights by voting for SJR34, a resolution that allows Internet Service Providers to collect, and sell your sensitive data without your consent or knowledge. Since Congress has made our privacy a commodity, let’s band together to buy THEIR privacy. This GoFundMe will pay to purchase the data of every Congressperson who voted for SJR34 and to make it publicly available. PS: No, we won’t “doxx” people. We will not share information that will impact the safety & security of their families (such as personal addresses). However, all other details are fair game. It says so right in the resolution that they voted to approve. Game on, Congress. PS: In the event that we don’t raise enough money to buy the data, all proceeds will go to the ACLU to help fight to protect all Americans’ rights. Thanks.

The GoFundMe was set-up by Collins less than 24-hours ago and has already reached $15,000.